What sort of organisation do you work for? 

I am employed by a leading Engineering Consultancy Company. The head office is in the Italy but RINA has over 200 offices and laboratories in 70 countries worldwide. 

Where else could you work as a Principal Geohazard Consultant? 

I work for a multinational engineering consultancy company, providing support to Oil and Gas and Renewables Companies. As a specialized marine geologist and geohazard consultant involved in offshore field developments, there is always the possibility to work directly with Oil and Renewables Companies or in Research Institutions.  

If this wasn’t your first job after your studies, what did you do in-between? 

I had the opportunity to work onboard geophysical vessel, becoming confident on acquisition, processing and preliminary data interpretation and on different research projects, mainly focusing on geohazards, canyons and mass wasting processes around volcanic islands. I also have been a teacher at high school. 

Do you travel, either within the UK or overseas, in your role? 

I really enjoy travelling and with this career it is always possible, interesting and rewarding, along with making many good friends along the way. I am used to travel to Partners offices in Netherlands, US, and UK, I had a mission trip in Lake Albert (Uganda), and occasionally I worked onboard vessels dedicated to geophysical acquisition. Volcanoes and in general volcanic landscapes are my passion and during my vacation I don’t miss the chance to explore one. 

Do you work a regular length day/week, or are shifts involved? 

My position if office based and I work standard hours from Monday to Friday. However, when you are onboard, activity is ongoing 4-5 weeks on 12-hours shift.  

What advice or extra information do you wish you’d had before starting this career? 

Be curious, work hard, and explore each opportunity given to you to achieve growth, innovation, and success. Stay open to new experiences and recognize that you don't know everything, but you can always learn some!  

What do you enjoy about your job? 

I enjoy having the possibility to see and interpret very high-resolution underwater data.  I take satisfaction providing consultancy and driving the exploration of an area of study, collecting various kinds of data, usually from remotely sensed acoustic survey followed by seabed ground-truthing, finally delivering an integrated study, which improves the understanding of possible hazards affecting the planned facilities. Teamwork is fundamental to success in our multidisciplinary assessment. Moreover, I like new technologies, and this job gives me the opportunity to keep up with research and industry and never stop learning. 

 What opportunities do you have for developing your skills in your current role? 

The best opportunity I have to develop my skills is curiosity and communication with team members. I can apply the knowledge gained during my academic career directly to my more recent experiences and can continue to develop myself learning new approaches to look at things and to manage challenges.